With “The Psychology of Illusion - Designing Shared Experiences,” 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on June 16, Vinh Giang will take attendees of the 2019 MPI World Education Congress (WEC) in Toronto on an experiential learning roller coaster. His focus is on designing an audience experience, and he will show you how to design a shared experience in its truest form. Sponsored by Discover Puerto Rico. Vinh Giang presented by CMI Speaker Management. Learn more at mpi.org/wec19.
Vinh Giang believes it is crucial that everything goes according to plan at events where he performs magic, because the margin of error is very narrow. But the emphasis is not on planning every logistical element of the show, but rather on guiding perspective, spotlighting influence and challenging belief systems. He will provide WEC attendees with insight into designing the audience experience.
Giang says the instrument we use to connect with the world around us is our voice.
“I believe that to be able to create great experiences, we need to learn how to use our instrument,” he says. “People experience the stories we have to share through our instrument, and yet, it’s the one thing we don’t get taught. We all have one of the world’s most complex instruments, and we didn’t get the manual, nor did we get any coaching.”
Giang’s family moved from Vietnam to Australia in 1981. As a child, he watched his family begin many businesses, and an entrepreneurial spirit took root in him. He even started his own business during his teenage years selling items he bought on eBay back to his friends at twice the price. Then it was on to college.
“I studied commerce and law and got to the final year before I made the decision to quit university to pursue what I loved in my life—teaching,” Giang says. “At the time, I loved teaching magic and built an online business that in the end had just under 1 million students.”
He says what he loves most about magic is that is helps break the ice.
“The moment I perform for someone, it breaks all barriers. We are immediately connected in a very strange way,” Giang says. “They may not know me, but we are immediately friends. This was true for me as a kid as it’s true for me as an adult. No matter where you are from or what you do, once I perform a little something, there’s a wonderful connection that’s established.”
He then shifted gears and started his next journey as a teacher, which led to him speaking in front of thousands at events worldwide. Over the years, he’s learned many things from audiences, but one experience sticks in his mind the most.
After one of his keynote addresses, a woman approached him and said, “Vinh, do you know how much time you’ve taken from us today? You did a one-hour talk, and there were 14,000 people in this room. You’ve just taken 14,000 hours of life from everyone.”
Giang says that was a powerful realization for him.
“As a speaker, I am like a black hole for time. I take so much time from people,” he says. “I just took 14,000 hours! I took nearly two years of life.”
The woman then said, “Many speakers don’t realize this. And they waste people’s time.” She then walked away.
“I keep this at the forefront of my mind now every time I speak,” Giang says. “It’s an absolute privilege to do what we do, and I made a commitment to myself that the day I no longer feel inspired to do what I do, I will no longer speak.”
Time also plays a role in his life in a way that he admits sounds a bit morbid, but which inspires daily.
“I know that the average male in the western world lives until he is 83, and the average woman lives until she is 86,” Giang says. “I am 32 right now, which means I have about 18,000 days left to live, or in other words, I have 51 summers left.”
He takes it a step further.
“My parents are already in their mid-60s. Or in other words, they have 18 summers left,” he says. “Now, I only get to spend two months each year with my parents, which means out of the 6,000 days they have left, I only get to share another 1,000 days with them.”
Using another example, he applies this thinking to an area of his life that’s very important to him—his son.
“If I am lucky enough to live until 83, I still have 51 summers with him, and I travel for work,” he says. “Each year, I travel about 100 days. That means every year I have 265 days with him, which means that out of the 18,000 days I have left to live, I only have 13,000 of them where I get to be a father to my child.”
Yes, he says, that might be a little too much for many, but knowing that his time here is temporary is what motivates him like nothing else.
Keeping in mind the temporary status of our lives helps create greater meaning with our connection to others, be they family, friends or colleagues.
Giang says the one thing that people love most at conferences is the connection component.
“I’ve done over 1,000 events and have consistently heard that this is what people value the most, the networking and the connecting,” he says. “And one thing I can share is that, once we learn how to masterfully use our instruments, we will be able to create incredible connections with others.”
In fact, Giang says we are only scratching the surface with this at conferences.
“When do you have the best experiences in your personal lives? When we are around the dinner table with our friends and family,” he says. “And what are we doing on the very nights we deem to be the best experiences? We are sharing stories together. The evenings where we are sharing endless stories are the most magnificent experiences of our lives.”
If we teach attendees how to tell stories effectively, Giang says, and teach them how to play their instruments, their voices, and bring the stories to life, then the networking and the connection will be incredible.
At WEC19
Vinh Giang will be a Keynote Speaker at WEC this year and will be speaking on the following days:
- Sunday, June 16th: Opening General Session: The Psychology of Illusion - Designing Shared Experiences
- Sunday, June 16th: Creating Communication MAGIC
Your Voice Matters at WEC19
MPI will give the main stage at WEC to members of our community who stopped planning meetings and started designing their events as experiences! The Storytellers session will feature three distinct stories—from a newcomer, a conqueror and a veteran. If you would like to tell your inspirational story, you can learn more at tinyurl.com/StorytellerWEC.
Other WEC keynote speakers include Michael Cerbelli (The Hot List™—showcasing the newest and most inspiring event and entertainment insights), Jade Simmons (a world-class concert pianist and activational speaker, presented by the Goodman Speakers Bureau) and Dear World (offering powerful, transformational stories from members of your community). Popular comedian Dena Blizzard is returning as WEC emcee.
Visit mpi.org/wec19 to learn more about and register for WEC.
